As previously covered by Local Profile, North Texas is becoming a technology industry hub. Now the small town of Sherman is emerging as a semiconductor manufacturing center thanks to investments coming from GlobalWafers, Texas Instruments and II-VI. In June, GlobiTech, a subsidiary of the Taiwan-based GlobalWafers selected the town to locate a new $5 billion facility expansion, promising to create 1,500 new jobs in the area.
But Sherman is not the only town celebrating the good news and preparing for the impact this upcoming project will have on the U.S. 75 corridor.
Anna, located some 20 miles south of Sherman and 40 miles north of Dallas, has seen a flood of new residents come in after the pandemic allowed people to work remotely. Getting sandwiched by two growing areas, the town's population is expected to double in the next decade, from 20,000 last year, to 45,000 by 2030, according to The Dallas Morning News.
Planning ahead for this big change, the city is investing in infrastructures like roadways and sewers in order to support more development and allow new buildings to be built on the west side. Additionally, they are making things easier for developers, reworking the permit process so it takes days instead of weeks to finish.
“We have truly created a culture of wanting to be the most developer-friendly city in all of North Texas,” Anna Mayor Nate Pike told The Dallas Morning News. “That is really what we have set out as an objective.”
The newly acquired attention is affecting the real estate market as well. Anna was known for being one of the more affordable housing markets in Collin County, but that is quickly changing. Pike said they are seeing houses being sold for half-million dollars and some estate-style developments have been popping up.
City officials are preparing the town for the upcoming residents. Recently, construction on a new city hall was completed and plans to build a new library are on their way.
